Pipeline surveillance Contract;Stop discrediting Tompolo, Group tells Nigerian Navy

Olalekan Fagbade September 8, 2023

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A group under the aegis of the 21st century youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience 21st CYNDAC has condemned in a very strong terms, recent attacks on the Pipeline Surveillance Contract awarded to Tantita Security, owned by the government of Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo by the Nigerian Navy.

In a statement on Thursday in Abuja, the leader of 21st CYNDAC, Izon Ebi said that with the coming on board of the contract, many illegal pipelines were discovered and dismantled, with countless vessels caring stolen crude oil seized and handed over to the Nigerian security, where they were burnt or taken into custody.

According to the group, all these achievements were recorded under one year of Tantita’s operation in the same Niger Delta where the Nigerian security have been stationed for over five decades, saying that these achievements by Tantita have been visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.

Izon Ebi in the statement is advising the Nigerian Navy that with what Tantita achieved within this short time, it would be in the interest of the Navy to work with them, to retain its dignity to serve Nigeria better, saying that as a group, it was calling for the deescalation of the tension between the naval personnel and the TSSL if they must realised the aim of setting up both the navy and TSSL.

The statement read, “It is no longer news that some forces behind crude oil theft in Nigeria are doing everything possible and things impossible to stop the federal government from renewing its game changing crude oil pipeline surveillance contract with Tompolo’s TSSL.

“In the last eight years, crude oil theft has led to massive shortage in the number of barrels of crude oil produced daily, monthly and annually in Nigeria. This criminality witnessed a towering increase in the year 2021 when Nigeria was producing less than 1 million barrels per day for over ten months. There were several accusations and counter-accusations about the individuals behind such economic sabotage against Nigeria.

“When the watchmen are the criminals, it will take only the power of God to save the city. Over the past four years since Nigeria started awakening to the reality of the fact that our crude oil production will soon hit zero barrels per day, several well meaning individuals in this country have come out openly to accuse the Nigerian navy of crude oil theft.

“Most of these allegations were quickly denied, while most of them were too strong to brush off. Example was on the 19th May 2019, the then executive governor of River State who is a lawyer and an outspoken individual, who happens to be a governor in one of the Niger Delta crude oil criminality most affected areas, came out to say that the navy and army are behind the crude oil theft in Rivers state.

“He also stated how the army and other security agencies run the illegal artisanal refineries that endangered the lives of the Niger Delta people. This allegation was not denied by the navy. On the 19th September, 2022, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, said that people in the government are responsible for the massive oil theft that has blocked Nigeria from benefiting from the boom in oil prices and deprived Africa’s largest economy of much-needed petrodollars. Government officials estimate that over 400,000 barrels of crude oil are lost to oil theft daily.

“The county’s chief of naval staff swiftly disputed those figures, leaving Nigerians playing a guessing game of how much crude is actually lost to theft. On the 27th June, 2023, an outspoken and fearless ex-militant leader of the Niger Delta volunteer force, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo pointed the Nigerian army and navy as oil thieves. Dokubo, who described military officers as oil king pings, pointed out that ordinary Niger Delta people who are often blamed for criminal activities in the area do not possess the wherewithal to carry out the crime. According to him, there are notorious Army and Naval oil kingpins that have engaged in unprecedented crude oil theft in the last eight years. He lamented that the way the oil thieves have continued to perpetrate the crime has deprived the people of the region of their livelihood, a development he noted, “as a crime against humanity”.

“Similarly, on the 31st August 2023, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a reputable legal practitioner, spared no rod in voicing out his dissatisfaction over the hide and seek game in our oil sector and its security by the Nigerian navy. In his words “How can the Navy say that they do not know how a huge sea vessel will disappear from the high sea as if it is a spirit? “These vessels that carry this stolen crude are escorted by security personnel? Who are these personnel? Is it not the Navy that is responsible?” Mr Ozekhome asked.

“The TSSL has never joined any group or person to accuse the Nigerian navy of crude oil criminality. TSSL have always discharged the duties assigned to them with all diligence and with respect to other co-security outfits in the region. These suspicion against the Nigerian navy was borne out of the frustrations that the Nigerians have endured for nearly a decade of crude oil theft, which translated into untold hardship and lost of naira value, just because those that are saddled with the responsibility to protect the crude oil pipeline are deficient in the duty, even when they are paid with the tax payer’s money.

“Later in the year 2022, the federal government via the GMD, NNPCL engaged the Tantita surveillance security to augment to the other national securities, in order to achieve the Nigerian OPEC quota, in a time when the war in Ukraine have set the price of crude oil soaring. The game changing contract with Tompolo’s Tantita was soon bountifully rewarded, as the TSSL witnessed a massive success in exposing many crude oil criminals and their hidden facilities. Hundreds of illegal artisanal refineries were discovered and destroyed.

“Many illegal pipelines were discovered and dismantled. Countless vessels caring stolen crude oil were seized and handed over to the Nigerian security, where they were burnt or taken into custody. All these achievements were recorded under one year of Tantita’s operation in the same Niger Delta where the Nigerian security have been stationed for over five decades. These milestones reached by Tantita was visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.

“With the renewal of this outstanding contract with the Tompolo’s TSSL approach, it is gradually turning to a bizarre and self defeating attitude by some well-placed individuals in the society to seek to block the contract. First, was several attacks on the GMD, NNPCL Mele Kyari to disengage TSSL. Immediately that one failed, they started calling for his suspension and trial. As that one did not yield the expected result, they started accusing Tompolo himself and all his associates of being in the plot to sabotage the presidential election against President Bola Tinubu. When our visionary President ignored their call for lacking merit, the Nigerian navy joined the race to discredit TSSL and their bravery for the Nigerian people. We the 21st CYNDAC have a piece of advice for the Nigerian navy (NN).

“Our advice to the NN is that “if Tantita have achieved this much progress within this short time, it will be in your own advantage to work with them, to retain your dignity to serve Nigeria better”. We are calling for the deescalation of the tension between the naval personnel and the TSSL, in order to accomplish the aim of setting up both the navy and TSSL. Remember that trouble is an ill-wind that blows nobody good. Long live Nigeria.”